# Are North American cars popular or "sought after" in other countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-north-american-cars-popular-or-sought-after-in-other-countries/173523 "2003-05-06T22:03:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-north-american-cars-popular-or-sought-after-in-other-countries/173523/21 "2003-05-07T13:49:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kferr \* > \*\*An interesting aside, Ford releases ‘better’ versions of some cars in Europe and not in the US. By better I mean faster, such as the Cosworth Escort, Cosworth Sierra, and current RS Focus. It would be loads of fun to take a tuned Cossie to the US and drive circles around the Mustangs! \*\* We get similar vehicles here, too, but they’re badged as SVT (Special Vehicle Team, maybe?) versions of the normal cars: SVT Focus, SVT Mustang (Cobra), SVT F-150 (Lightning), SVT Contour, etc. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-north-american-cars-popular-or-sought-after-in-other-countries/173523/22 "2003-05-07T14:10:37Z")
When I was living in Prague, there was always a brand new, bright yellow Corvette parked out in front of the Italian embassy. It belonged to one of the diplomats. It always struck me as amusing that with all the sports cars in Europe, an Italian diplomat would import a Corvette. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-north-american-cars-popular-or-sought-after-in-other-countries/173523/23 "2003-05-07T15:49:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flodnak \* > \*\*…and SUVs like the Ford Expansion and Chevy Subdivision. \*\* Uh, is this what they’re really called there, or are you being faceitious or something? Honestly, it could be either/or because we _do_ market many of the same vehicles in different countries but with different names. ---
**Author:** ![keithnmick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90db22/32.png) [@keithnmick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keithnmick)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-north-american-cars-popular-or-sought-after-in-other-countries/173523/24 "2003-05-07T17:17:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by caveman \* > \*\*We get similar vehicles here, too, but they’re badged as SVT (Special Vehicle Team, maybe?) versions of the normal cars: SVT Focus, SVT Mustang (Cobra), SVT F-150 (Lightning), SVT Contour, etc. \*\* Similar but not the same - the RS focus from the UK, for example, has this kind of kit: Sparco (seats), Garrett Technologies (turbocharger), O.Z. Racing (wheels), Brembo (brakes), Sachs Racing (dampers), Quaife (differential) and AP Racing (clutch) - and it puts out 215 hp and hits 60 in about 6.4 seconds. the SVT focus, on the other hand, doesn’t have quite the impressive kit the RS does, and only has 170 hp and hits 60 in about 7.5 seconds. You can’t buy the mustang in the UK, or the Camaro, or a Caddillac, Lincoln, Mercury or Chevrolet. A lot of the US luxo brands compare unfavorably with the comparable BMW , Audi or Benz when they cost as much due to import costs. The best sellers owned by the big three (two?) are those that are researched, designed, engineered and built in Europe. In fact most cars designed for the US market are received poorly in the UK, and vice versa. Makes sense when you look at the very different types of driving. It also doesn’t help when a lot of the low volume US cars are only available in the UK and Japan with left hand drive. Makes the car harder to drive and kills the resale value. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-north-american-cars-popular-or-sought-after-in-other-countries/173523.md?page=1)